All SLI projects are expected to receive LEED Silver certification or higher.

Sustainable Living Innovations is composed of a consortium of design and engineering firms that have spent the last couple of years designing a ground-up integrated prefab system. The system is both scalable and modular, and it consists of flexible floor plans that are factory-built and then transported to the site to be assembled.

First, a concrete slab is poured and then the steel frame is assembled. Afterwards, the concrete roof slab is poured and raised from the ground to the top. Then the prefab wall systems are installed apartment by apartment. To test their theories and design, SLI recently built a prototype apartment in a Seattle warehouse.

The advantages of the SLI system include fast construction times, high-quality consistent construction, waste reduction, off-site fabrication, and savings in labor costs. The prefab apartments are designed to be streamlined, spacious yet moderately sized, and full of daylighting. All SLI projects are expected to receive LEED Silver certification or higher. The consortium, which consists of CollinsWoerman, McKinstry, Lydig Construction, and DCI Engineers, expects these types of apartment buildings to be most appealing to Gen Yers and states that they could also make for efficient and cost-effective hotels or resorts.

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2 Comments

Scott DobbieMay 8, 2011 at 1:24 pm

While these designs look very contemporary & inviting, I would question their energy use for heating & cooling. I see lot’s of window area with no shading to alleviate heat gain during the summer season. I also see little in the way of insulation which in hotter climates is just as important as cold climates. Traditional air conditioning consumes enormous amount of electricity which in the southern US is very expensive. This seems to be vasty overlooked in contemporary glass curtain wall buildings & designs such as this. The prevailing attitude amongst developers of multi-family units (condominiums) & modern multi-storey commercial buildings is “Oh, the customer/end user will pay for that!” A modest investment in R40 walls, R-75 ceilings, R30 floors, heat &/or energy recovery ventilators would vastly reduce the cost of ownership for the occupant of this type of housing.

These are really chic and trendy. They have the same vibe as a solar decathlon house which are always gorgeous and enviable spaces. This would challenge Americans to live with less and I really support the idea of bringing the living space back down from the high rise to the streetscape and encouraging engagement of living spaces with the energy and activities on the street. These make me want to go to IKEA….